Artificial bird target



Oct. 6', 1925. 1,556,264

5. E. THRESHER ARTIFICIAL BIRD TARGET Filed Dec/. 4 1919 Edward E. T/lre s her INVEN TOR.

A TTOR/VEY Patented Oct. 6, 1925. I i 1 UNITE )S P A TENT OFFICE.

I v EDWARD E. i nn-nsnnn, o'F-Akrt'o'n, 01110.

:nn'rirrciar. Brim TARGET. I Applicati'onfileii December 4, i919. Serial mi. $42,436.

To all whom it may concern: a v in the slot between the win s and the tpro- Be it known thatI, EpWi RoE. THRE$ I1ER, jecting lips of the carrier plate rest on the a citizen of the United States, residing at flanges at each end of slot, then turningthe Akron, in the county of Summit and State thumb 'nut forces the -slide bo'l theads un. of Ohio, have iii-vented new and useful Imder said flanges thus locking the body beprovements in Artificial Bird Targets, of tween the carrier lips and said heads and which the" following is a specification. holding it inthat {position until hitwith .The primary object of the invention remissile shot. r sides in theprovision of an artificial'live- The novel and essential features of said i 10 bird target designed to take the place of live lock are the arms of the connecting rods birds and dispense with the cruel shooting of (called triggers) and their action on the such birds for sport, and has particular refhinged leaves, when the thumb nut isturned erence to what is known as live bird trapto lock the bird these triggers are forced out shooting, wherein the artificial live bird tarthrough the trigger slots and press the 15 get is made to resemble a live bird in shape, hinged leaves against the inner wall oneach appearance, and flight as perfectly as huside of the birds body so that the lower corman skill'can imitate nature and is briefly ners of the leaves impinge on the curved described as follows :-The body is made inner surface thereof thereby creating a in two parts of sheet steel, each showing double leverage on the triggers, viz; one by 20 half of the head, neck, body, one wing and the leverage of the leaves on the triggers tail and are hinged together on the under and another by the leverage of the body on portionofthe body, and the metal between the leaves; and further improvements con the'wings 'is removed making a slot large template the provision of an adjustable con enough toreceive the locking device on the nection at the head whereby the pressure of under portion of the carrier plate; the the bird sides and leaves on the triggers may locking device is in closed within a steel casbe regulated so perfectly that the' force of ing which is an eighth of an inch shorter one or two shot pellets hitting the bird anythan the slot to admit of free entrance and where will trip the triggers and cause the also of a lateral movement of the body on bird to fall and hang suspended by the 30 the suspending part of the lock; and said tongue and register'a kill. Another very imcasing supports on each side a hinged eX- portant feature lies in the impingementof pensible leaf which when locked impinges the'leaves on the body at two-points inf-rout onthe curved surface of the inner wall of and two at back. This impingement not the body. The base plate of the carrier only steadies and braces the body in the 35 has lips that extend a inch beyond the ends locked position but also gives the most perof the slot making it impossible to insert in feet kill possible to obtain even when hit the slotfmore than the locking portion of the anywhere on the side,head, wing or tail and carrier? The carrier supports an upper casing also because the lateral movementof the which houses a small sheave or trolley wheel body if hit in front or behind will trip the 40 and is slotted to receive the suspending travlook just the same. i

eli-ng wire cable on which the trolley wheel The invention further includes certain imrides and the outer ends of said casing is provements that will be evident from the slotted to receive and fasten the ends of the detailed description thereof over the patent suspending traveling wire cable as hereingranted to E. E. Thresher upon artificial 45 after described. e bird target, No. 1,075,518, patented Oct. 14,

A further object of the invention includes 1913. v v a novel method of locking and supporting With the above and other objects in view, the bird in a flying position by raising the this invention consists in the novel form, body until the lock casing is submerged combination and arrangementof parts'herein fully described and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an artificial bird target constructed in accordance with the present invention, the same being partially broken away,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, a portion of the casing being broken away,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view, partially in section of the bird suspending device with the bird suspending arm in collapsed position.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken transversely of Figure 3 and,

Figures 5 and 6 are bottom plan views of the bird holding mechanism in released and set positions respectively.

Broadly, the present invention contemplates certain improvements over the patent, and has particular reference to the manner of suspending the target bird upon a line wire as well as the provision of protecting plates enclosing the releasing mechanism. As contrasted with the patent above men tioned, the ends of the suspending wire are connected to the upper end of the carrier casing containing the suspension wheel, which method of mounting the bird prevents undue vibration during the traveling movement over the wire with the obviation of a consequent accidental release of the bird. The protecting plates enclosing the operating mechanism receive the shock from the sides of the bird for releasing the bird holding mechanism that is contrasted with a direct engagen'ient of the operating mechanism with the sides of the bird in the above mentioned patent, and other novel details of construction and improved steps in the operation of the device will be apparent from the detailed description.

Referring more in detail to the construction herein disclosed, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is provided an artificial bird embodying side sections 1 simulating the body of a bird and hinged at the bottom edges thereof as at 2, tail sections 3 being carried by the rear end of the body while neck and head sections a are carried by the other end of the body. llpstanding wings 5 representing the bird in flight are carried by the body sides 1 and the bird is caused to assume the position shown in Fig ures 1 and 2 by a pin 6 extending through the head 4 of the bird at the eye portion and being retained therein by cotters as illustrated. An important feature of the present invention includes the mounting of one or more washers or fillers 7 upon the projecting ends of the pin 6 inwardly of the cotters whereby the sides of the bird may be caused to assume an initial position at various distances apart to compensate for cartridges of ditl'erent calibers, and for other purposes to hereinafter appear.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the bird 1 is mounted upon a suspension wire 8, which is supported in any suitable manner, such as over spaced sheaves not shown, for allowing free travel of the same and having the ends thereof connected as at 9 to arms 10 upon a casing 11, the lower side of the suspension wire 8 being unobstructed and passing through alined openings 12 in opposite sides of the casing 11 and beneath the sheave 13, which sheave rides upon the wire 8 for suspending the bird as will at once be evident.

Depending arms 14 are carried by the housing 11 and are connected to the opposite ends of a plate 15, having depending side walls 15 shown in Figures 5 and 6 which plate has slidably mounted upon the lower face thereof oppositely moving slides 16 between the side walls 15, the slides having heads 17 upon the outer projecting ends thereof, each head having lateral extensions l'i' guided in the bifurcated ends of the plate walls 15. Side plates 18 are swingingly supported as at 19 to opposite longitudinal edges of the plate 15, as shown in Figs. 1, and 1. These side plates 18 are provided for the purpose of protecting the mechanism positioned therebetween, and which will be de cribed in detail hereafter, from any stray shots accidentally fired at the device after it has been stripped.

.3. depending housing 20 is carried by the plate 15 and has a pivotal connection 21 at its lower side with a link 22, whichlink is connected at its opposite end to the pin 6 at the head the bird with said link lying in the space between the neck and head sections 4: of the bird. As illustrated in Fig-- ures 1 and 2, the. body portions 1 of the bird are )rovided with flanges 28 that extend rearwardly from the head and neck portions a and forwardly from the tail portions 3 and are adapted to be positioned on a plane slightly over the heads 17 of the slides 16 and to he engaged by the same when they are projected to hold the birds in the flying position illustrated in Figure 1. The slides 16 are maintained distended by thespring and lover devices as illustrated in Figure 6, a disk 24 carried by a stem projecting upwardly through the plate 15 and being operable by a thumb nut upon the upper end oi the stem. while diametrically opposite levers 26 are pivoted at 27 to opposite sides of the disk 2% with the other ends of said leveis 26 pivoted upon pins 28 carried by the slides 16. arms 29 are carried by the levers 26 with the outer ends thereof, when the slides are extended, projecting through side slots in the housing shown in Fig. d, a spring 80 connecting the pivot pins 28 of said levers @ppositcly directed angle 3 moved to opposite sides of the longitudinal and holding the pivot points 27 slightly axis of the slides 16 so that the angle extensions 29 are maintained in projected condition through the side walls of the housing. The opposite sides of the plate '15 have hinged thereto a pair of side plates 18 freely depending from the upper edges of the housing and lying outwardly of the angle arms 29 to be engaged by said arms when extended, and positioned intermediate the arms and sides 1 of the bird body to operate the spring and lever releasing devices and to protect the same from contact with the sides of the bird body.

With the device as above described, where the sheave 13 travels over the suspension wire 8 with the ends of the wire connected as at 9 at points abovethe extension sheave 13, liability of vibration or swaying is greatly reduced due to the bracing efiect afforded by the connection of the wire at the points 9 spaced from the plane of support at the lower side of the sheave 13 and on the opposite side thereto to the weight of the body and mechanism with a consequent elimination of a possible accidental collapse of the bird. W hen a shot or other object strikes the side 1 of the bird, the same is moved upon its hinge connection 2 for engagement with the plate 18 to shift the angle extensions 29 of the levers 26 with the subsequent operation of the spring to move the arms from the position shown in Figure 6 to the position illustrated in Figure 5 and thus for a retraction of the slides 16 and heads 17,

to release the heads 17 from the inwardly directed flanges 23 upon the body portions of the bird and to permit the bird to collapse and be suspended by the link 22 connecting the head of the bird with the depending housing 20, and when so arranged the spring 30 maintains the slides 16 retracted. When it is desired to reset the bird, the body por tions 1 and 2 are moved upwardly to posi tion the flanges 23 slightly above the slide heads 17 and by operating the thumb nut 25, the slides are moved to reset the levers and arms 26 and 29 for retaining the bird in a horizontal position. lVith this device, it will therefore be seen that the operating mechanism is protected from direct contact with the movable sides of the bird and that the releasing tensioned levers are shifted by the enclosing protecting plates 18.. Also, by placing washers of different widths upon the pins 6, the sides of the bird may be normally held at greater or lesser distances apart so that the operating levers will be in their set position at points nearer to or spaced from the longitudinal axis of the operating mechanism, thereby to provide a target which may be initially set for operation by cartridges of different calibers.

\Vhen it is desired to secure the bird target in its set position,=the depending housing 20 with its swingingly.supporteo side plates 18 positioned between the side sections 1., whichconstitute. the body of the targeuand the, thumbnut 25 is turned to position the heads 17 of the slides 16' beneath the flairgres The device will be retained in this set 23. position until the said mechanism is tripped by pressure upon either side section 1.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, combination and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new is 1. An artificial bird target comprising a carrier casing, a sheave within the casing, a suspension wire connected at its ends to said casing above said sheave with the intermediate portion of said wire arranged beneath the sheave whereby said carrier is effectively braced to overcome lateral swaying and a bird target body connected to said carrier casing.

2. An artificial bird target comprising a casing carrier, a bird body, means for detachably connecting the bird body to the said carrier, and means carried by said carrier for protecting its bird body connecting means while in either its set or tripped position.

3. An artificial bird target comprising a casing carrier, a bird body, means for detachably connecting the bird body to the said carrier, and plates carried by said carrier for protecting the mechanism carried by the latter while in either its set or tripped position.

4. In an artificial bird target comprising a casing carrier, a bird body, means for detachably connecting the bird body to the carrier, and depending plates swingingly carried by the casing carrier for protecting its detaching mechanism while in either its set or tripped position.

5. n artificial bird target comprising a casing carrier, hingingly connected body sections removably connected to said carrier, and means associated with said body sections for adjustably varying the outward limit of movement of the same whereby the said target may be regulated to operate under varying conditions.

6. An artificial bird target comprising a casing carrier, with extended lips to rest on the bird body between the wings, a casing below said carrier housing a locking mechanism, two leaves, one on each hinged to said casing, said leaves forming a leverage over the trippers, and a bird body the sides of which form a compound leverage over the leaves, the lower corners of which press on the inner curved surface of the bird body,

one point at each end of each leaf, making rier, a casing below said carrier housing the tWo effective points of contact on each side mechanism (as herein before described) of 10 and two at each end, front or back so that a collapsible lock, adjustable to any degree the impact of one shot pellet anywhere, Will of shot shock by means of varying number I cause the trippers to operate and cause the or thickness of Washers at the eyes.

bird body to fall and hang suspended by In testimony whereof I have hereunto the tongue, to show a kill. set my hand.

7. An artificial bird target a casing car- EDWARD E. THRESHER. 

